Gas powered furnace systems generally include a burner, a gas valve for controlling the supply of gas to the burner, and an ignition device to ignite gas supplied to the burner. Heat generated from the burner is circulated through a heat exchanger, and a circulator blower circulates air across the heat exchanger and into a temperature controlled environment to provide heat to the temperature controlled environment. A furnace controller is often used to control various components of the furnace system to ensure proper operation of the furnace system. Some furnace systems include one or more sensors or detectors to monitor the environmental and operating conditions of the furnace system. Information from the sensors and detectors may be relayed to the furnace controller, and the furnace controller may control one or more components based on the information received from the sensors and detectors.
Furnace controllers are often connected to components of the furnace system by wiring harnesses. The use of wiring harnesses facilitates installation of furnace controllers by reducing the number of separate electrical connections needed to connect a furnace controller to a furnace system. However, different furnace systems often have wiring harnesses with different pin configurations. For example, wiring harnesses may have a different geometrical arrangement of pins, a different number of pins, and/or a different electrical arrangement of pins based on the manufacturer of the furnace system. As a result, furnace controllers are generally not compatible with multiple types of furnace systems, such as furnace systems manufactured by different furnace system manufacturers.
Attempts to improve the compatibility of furnace controllers have included providing furnace controllers with a plurality wiring harness adapters or interconnecting devices, which are used to interconnect a furnace controller with the wiring harness of a furnace system. The wiring harness adapters and interconnecting devices often have different pin configurations to enable the furnace controller to be connected to wiring harnesses having different pin configurations.
However, the use of wiring harness adapters and interconnecting devices has several drawbacks. For example, often only one harness adapter or interconnecting device is used to connect a furnace controller to a furnace system. Thus, other harness adapters and interconnecting devices provided with the furnace controller are not used, resulting in excess costs and waste. Additionally, the use of harness adapters and interconnecting devices increases the complexity of installing a furnace controller because it requires additional electrical connections between the furnace system and the furnace controller, and requires proper identification of the harness adapter or interconnecting device needed to connect the furnace controller to a particular furnace system. Accordingly, a need exists for a more satisfactory furnace controller.
This Background section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.